Teen Reviews - Summer, 2008

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Steinbeck, John. Of Mice And Men. 1994. (YA Fiction Stein.J & Paperbk Fiction Stein.J)

Of Mice and Men is a fairly short book, so every page and word is there for a reason. The book takes place at a ranch where the two main characters (Lennie and George) work. Lennie is a giant with subtle features while George is small and has bold, dark features. Both are good friends and are trying to save up their money to buy a house with rabbits (for Lennie). Lennie loves to pet soft things. He starts off by petting a mouse and killing it by petting it to hard, then he goes to petting a puppy and killing that too by holding it to tightly. Meanwhile he breaks the boss’s son's hand. The problem with Lennie is that when he gets scared he holds on to things. When he broke the guy’s hand he hadn't meant to he had just gotten scared. Lennie and George become within reach of their house with the help of an old man who isn't much help on the ranch anymore. Then the boss’s son's wife is talking to Lennie and lets Lennie feel her soft hair. When he pulls it too hard she gets scared, so he pulls harder. To find out more, read the book. I didn't like this book until the last few chapters. Emily

Ellis, Deborah. The Breadwinner. 2000. (YA Fiction Ellis.D)

When Parvana's dad had to be taken away by the talib solders, they had no way of getting food so his mom made Parvana be a boy. Parvana was scared that people would recognize her but no one did. Parvana's mom and sister Nooria and Miss Weera wanted a school. One day Parvana came back from work and her mom told her that Nooria was getting married and they had to leave. But Parvana did not want to leave with them. Parvana’s mom decided to let Parvana to stay because they did not want to explain why she looks like a boy. On Parvana's way home she saw this girl who did not have her burqa so Parvana told the girl her secret and she took the girl home with her. The girl felt well and a couple of days went past. One afternoon Parvana's dad came back from jail. When he got better Parvana told her dad everything that had happened. When she told about the family he said we would go find them. So they pack some stuff and Parvana said good bye to her friend and they said they will met in France. Amy

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. 2008. (YA Fiction Docto.C)  Book Trailer of Little Brother

Cory Doctorow understands the technology he's writing about. And he can write about it without confusing the readers (too much). His characters are very easy to relate to. Their actions are understandable and quite fun. While sometimes you can see what they're about to do, Doctorow manages to surprise you when it counts. To make it easier to understand for adult readers, he eliminates the IM slang or type-text (for instance "you're going to the store?" might become "ur goin 2 tha stor?") This lowers the credibility of some of the scenes in the book but is not too much of a big deal. Doctorow takes Big Brother and brings it to America, warning of Fascism, not Communism. He leaves hope where Orwell snatches it away. There is hope for America. But ordinary people have to step up to exercise their rights. This book talks about how terrorism can terrorize a nation, sacrificing rights for supposed security. Doctorow writes in a style that brings in the reader. This book is an interesting companion to 1984. Micah

Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time. 2003. (YA Fiction Haddo.M & YA CD Fiction Haddo.M & Fiction Haddo.M)

This book was really good!! I recommend it for any teen reader that likes mystery books and family books. It is about a mentally challenged boy and he is very different. But you have to read it to find out the rest of the story. Madeleine

Peters, Elizabeth. Crocodile On The Sandbank. 1975. (Mystery Peter.E)

The first of the Amelia Peabody mysteries "Crocodile on the Sandbank" is one that will just suck you in! It starts off with Amelia in Rome on her way to Egypt but before she leaves she rescues Evelyn, an English girl with a sad story to her name. Amelia takes Evelyn under her wing and together they go to Egypt. When they are there they meet the two Emerson brothers who immediately make a big impression on both Amelia and Evelyn. Soon they set out along the Nile to see the sites of Egypt. When they stop at a small Egyptian town and head out to see some tomb they are hailed by Walter, the younger of the two Emerson brothers, who quickly tells them that his brother is very ill and he doesn't know what to do. They follow him back to an empty tomb and Amelia, who knows some of doctoring and such, takes charge and soon the elder Emerson is recovering. Instead of continuing on their journey Amelia and Evelyn remain with the Emersons and help them with their excavating. When a mummy is discovered they place it in an unoccupied near-by tomb for safe keeping, but the next morning it is gone with no evidence as to where it has gone. The following night a mummy is spotted walking the sand. The four of them begin to get worried because it has frightened all the natives, who were working for the Emersons, away. So the four of them begin to plan a way to capture the so-called mummy and prove that there are people behind it all and not spirits. The first attempt at capture fails and then Lucas, Evelyn's cousin, arrives. They ask him for help and he agrees and they plan again one trap after another. Amelia begins to wonder if Lucas can really be trusted, but if not what is his reason for attaching to them and who is his accomplice? Amelia is determined to find out and so she does not give up. Aura Lee

Asgedom, Mawi. Of Beetles & Angels : A Boy's Remarkable Journey From A Refugee Camp To Harvard. 2002. (YA B Mawi Mawi)

Mawi Asgedom is a mighty speaker and deep hearted person that traveled a long Journey from Ethiopia to a Refugee Camp in Sudan to a childhood on welfare in America with his family: His father Haileab, his mother Tsege his three sisters and two brothers. In this book you travel with Mawi through the Hardships and Opportunities, and Accomplishments of Mawi and his family. I suggest this book to teens because it’s a deep text novel that suggests you treat all people, even the unsightly beetles, like they were angels sent from heaven. Jernome

Lord, Cynthia. Rules. 2006. (J Lord.C)

This book was about a girl who has a brother with autism. Catherine the girl has a notebook where she keeps all her drawings but mostly for her brother David's rules. Catherine does not have very many friends because of her brother David. Catherine finds out that a new girl is going to move next door. Catherine is helping her brother remember the rules so David does not embarrass her. Some of the rules for David are if the bathroom door is closed knock (especially if Catherine has a friend over), Say thank you when someone gives you a gift even if you don't like, Don't stand in front of the T.V. when people are watching it, A boy can take off his shirt to swim but not his shorts, Some people think they know who you are when they really don't and no toys in the fish tank! Every week Catherine goes with her brother to O.T. (occupational therapy). At O.T. Catherine meets a boy named Jason who can't talk so he uses a binder full of words. When Jason needs to talk he points to words. One day Jason's mother gives Catherine some cards to write words on and draw pictures to match the words. Some of the words are Catherine, gross!, awesome!, drawing, guinea pig, and Stinks A Big One!!! Jason if becoming a friend to Catherine and every time they see each other at O.T. they talk or do a fun activity. In the end of the book Jason invites Catherine to his birthday party. On the same day as Jason's party is a dance. Jason from his party asks Catherine if she wants to dance but she says "no". Jason says “Why do you not want to dance? Are you embarrassed by me?". Then Catherine leaves the party and goes home. At home she calls Jason's mom and asks if Jason wants to go to the dance that he asked Catherine home. Jason's mom says she will tell Jason. So Catherine goes to the dance and sees Jason and they both dance together. I loved this book so much. I thought it had a really great plot and a really great ending. I highly encourage people to read this book. Claudia

Dean, Zoey. The A-list. 2003. (YA Fiction Dean.Z)

Anna is a smart girl living in New York City. Her sister is in rehab for drinking and drugs, her best friend is dating Anna's love, and her mom is in Europe for work. Anna decides to move in with her dad who lives in L.A. When she arrives she finds him passed out from weed. She is very disappointed. On her way over to L.A she meets a guy named Ben on the plane. He invites her to a wedding of a famous actor, She willingly excepts not knowing that three other girls who are on the top of the A-list also have feeling for Ben and that they are going to be there: One who used to be dating him, One that is pregnant with his baby, and another that has kissed him and fallen hard. Anna falls hard for him also and one night after refusing to sleep with him and he leaves, she gets all worked up because she thought he wasn't that kind of guy. Ben says he was helping a friend who is a famous actor that had had an overdose of drugs. She finds it hard to believe even though he is so good looking. It seems like everyone in Beverly Hills is a player and just wants to sleep with someone. Her father's girlfriend can't get Anna the internship she wanted for school, so Anna is forced to go to the school with the A-list girls and she isn't to happy about that. Anna starts crushing on a guy that is a different kind from the others in L.A. He changes his hair color and his parents haven't been divorced. I didn't really like this book but might read some in the series later. 

Myers, Walter Dean. Shooter. 2004. (YA Fiction Myers.W)

If you liked the book Monster by Walter Dean Myers then you would like Shooter. They are both about teenagers who get in some sort of trouble with the law. Shooter is written in the form of interviews. This was such a good book that I brought it to the Quetico for a canoe trip so I could re-read it. Jamie

Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 1999. (YA Fiction Myers.W)

Monster was a book where a Steve Harmon (the main character) gets in trouble with the law. He is put into jail and goes through trial for a crime he claims he did not do. The entire time this is going on he is writing it all down in his notebook in the form of a movie script. I found this book really interesting because I am a movie director for a movie company called Dave-Dix (www.davedix.co.nr). This book inspired me to make a few crime movies my self. I think overall this is a great book and I look forward to reading more of Walter Dean Myers's books. Jamie

Park, Linda Sue. A Single Shard. 2001. (J Park.L)

I really liked this book because it was interesting and really brought you into it. I liked all of the surprising twists and turns and unexpected surprises. My favorite part was when Tree-ear got adopted by Min and his wife and gets to make his own pottery wheel. There is a very sad part before it which makes this one a very happy one. I really like happy endings. This book taught a lesson too. The lesson was: little things can do big things. There was only one shard of pottery that Tree-ear could bring back to the emissary. All the other shards were too small to bring back. That one shard made Min emissary’s commission. It was a really good book and I recommend it to other kids. 

Flake, Sharon. Money Hungry. 2001. (YA Fiction Flake.S & J Flake.S)

Raspberry Hill is thirteen year old and money hungry. She will do everything just to get that smell on her body - washing cars, selling rotten candy, skipping her lunch period and cleaning houses. Her memories of being cold and homeless keeps her eyes on only on thing: money, cold hard cash that she can touch, hold, smell, and even kiss. This book put me to work. What I mean is this thirteen year old has enough money to lend her friend two hundred bucks and I am broke. So I decided to do something about it and got to work. But back to the book, it was wonderfully written. It made me think she lives in the projects and is still rolling. I was racist to them I thought they were all very poor black people. When I read this book I finally saw the truth. These people are just like me. Not all of they are beggar poor like I thought. In fact some can be rolling rich like Raspberry Hill. In the end of the book I must confess. I cried. And since learned there is a second book. I cannot wait to read it! Samantha

Haddix, Margaret Petterson. Double Identity. 2005. (J Haddi.M)